EAGLES

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Dinajay Harris is returning and is signed.

DeAntoni Gordon just signed https://lrtrojans.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/deantoni-gordon/7499

John Wade III has also signed....

So a grazed stomach and a blooper single, and Billy was removed after pitching 7 innings of shutout baseball. You could tell he didn't appreciate it, and neither did I. Although many of Sivley's stats look great, there is one that catches the eye. That is that he has allowed now 15 multi base hits.

THEY DON'T CALL ME, AND ASK FOR MY ADVICE AND OPINIONS. But it could appear that Sivley is going to get his chances to shine no matter the cost.

EAGLES

Sun Belt (4 bids)​

SAFELY IN: Coastal Carolina

ON THE BUBBLE (IN): Southern Miss, Louisiana, James Madison

ON THE BUBBLE (OUT): Troy, Old Dominion

One change from last week: James Madison joins our field, making the Sun Belt a four-bid league.


The Dukes bolstered their case by sweeping Georgia Southern to improve to 10-8 in the conference, and they remain in strong RPI shape at No. 27. The biggest knock on JMU is that they have lost series against the best teams they’ve played (Arkansas, Coastal Carolina, ODU along with a series loss to Texas State), but they have not been swept, and they’re still getting a major RPI boost from that opening-weekend trip to Arkansas. If they can finish with a winning record in conference and stay in the top five of the standings, we like their chances.


Southern Miss is in decent shape at 11-7 in the SBC and No. 46 in the RPI, along with a 5-4 record against Q1. That RPI is still in bubble territory, but USM’s combination of metrics puts it well ahead of other bubble-in teams right now. The next two weeks will largely determine USM’s at-large fate: at Louisiana, vs. Coastal Carolina. Those series should offer RPI boosts, but the Golden Eagles need to go at least 3-3 in those two weekends to keep themselves in at-large position.


Louisiana is a tricky case. The Cajuns continue to dominate the Sun Belt with a 15-3 conference record, four games clear of the three-way tie for second between Coastal, USM and Troy. When we assembled our field on Tuesday, the Cajuns were in the mid-40s in the RPI, which made them a no-brainer at-large team. But a bad loss Wednesday against Houston Christian caused Louisiana to tumble 15 spots back to No. 60 in the RPI, illustrating the RPI pitfalls that must be avoided down the stretch. Here’s a case where the DSR feels like a far better illustration of the caliber of UL’s season: the Cajuns rank 25th in that metric. There’s still time for Louisiana to climb back into the top 50 of the RPI, but its RPI is likely to finish in a very bubble-ish place regardless. Here’s hoping the committee looks deeper than the RPI and rewards the Cajuns for their dominance of the league, should it continue.



Troy and Old Dominion are both on the radar as well, but both have work to do. Troy is tied for second at 11-7 in the league, but its RPI is down at No. 71. If the Trojans can win their marquee road series at Coastal Carolina this weekend, they should make a big leap. Then they’ll have another stiff test (and another big opportunity) with a home series vs. Louisiana. Those two weekends will determine whether or not they can jump into at-large position in the RPI. ODU is stronger in the RPI (No. 56) but weaker in the standings (9-9), so the Monarchs just need to keep on winning and pass some other teams in the standings.

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For imfo about the tournament and sponorship opportunities click here:

Austin Gonzalez has entered the portal. This will now give coaches 3 scholarships to use in the portal.
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During the interview with Jay Ladner recently, he mentioned some recruits that I have not heard about. Does anyone know where I can find a list of all prospects/signees? It seems there is never any information regarding this subject.

The Offense

Quite frankly, last year's offense was offensive. It was based on really one person with no help from the OL. There was little or no time for the quarterback to pass the ball, and the playcalling was poor. Everyone remembers, so I will move on.
Let us start with the revamped OL. Three of them are gone, and that may be a blessing. RT Greg Nunnery (MGCC) and Zach Conti (Eastern Michigan) may be the punch needed. Presently the starting positions will go to: LT Gabe Cavazos 6'6" 305, LG Zack Conti 6'6" 320, Center Drew Lawson 6'2" 300, RG Ky Barnes 6'4" 325, RT Greg Nunnery 6'3" 310. The guys battling for playing time are RT Tank Welch, LG Wil Saxton, Center Luke Rogers, LG Klabron Pollard, LT Hastings Carruth, Shardez Taylor and Cam Barnes. Will Saxton has been cited several times along with Rogers and Pollard. The younger guys are starting to develop. Although obtaining O-Linemen through the portal is a bit more difficult than picking crab apples from the tree, I am pretty sure Hall will consider a player or two to bolster this room.
Major weapons will be slot, and TE (Yes, TE) believe it. Kyirin Heath has been magnificent all Spring. Justin Reid has also been cited several times. The slot position using as receivers Ti Mims (the awesome), Chandler Merrill, Matt Nixon, Jack Schwing

A good group of WRs, Larry Simmons, JJ Butler, Keyshawn Buckley, Dokota Thomas, and Dalton Davis, will be a chore for opponents to deal with. They provided some big plays this Spring. I believe Hall may still be looking for a burner to complete this room.

My favorite room is in the barn. The horses and I believe we have some thoroughbreds. We lost Gore, Jr (or he lost us), which may not be as bad as we think. No doubt he was one of our best of all time, but without effective blocking, how many offensive plays were wasted trying to run him up the middle? Knowing the passing game was ineffective, the defenses loaded the box, and all eyes were fixed on him, not the cheerleaders. This year Dreke Clark and Kenyon Clay have a great chance to be leaders. Pushing for a starting job will be freshman sensation Jalen Washington, who is a slasher. Watch out for this kid. JQ Gray will also bring some speed and elusiveness.

Tomorrow is the final part of the review. I will review the QB starter and portal projections and consider the future after a successful Spring.

Tore UCL is out for the season.

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I thought the offense worked much better with LRLR at top 4 not LLLR. But hey. McIntyre is back.
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He has right arm tightness, probably out for the season. Not good for this staff that is already injury riddled.

Eagles

Well,this should be interesting. Fascination to see how he handles this start.

Many fans do not follow Spring ball because they think it means very little and that may very well be. I view it differently with the opinion that there are many revealing factors. Here are some.
Hall has made his life a bit easier by adding coaches Bignell and Long. Both are bringing a change in schemes. Bignell is inserting an aggressive defense style instead of the wait-and-see used last year. It is a fly to the ball with all hands on deck, and he has the players to accomplish that. He has revised how defensive plays are called to keep pace with hurry-up offenses. An issue that was a big problem last year.
Long is aware of the failure to score TDs inside the 20-yard line and has implemented plays with a lot of shifts, motion, and tempo to confuse the defense, especially in the red zone. He has moved some players around to take full advantage of their special skills. He has brought a lot of intensity to the offense and is a stickler for precise execution. He will not tolerate poor execution or simply missed assignments.

I will investigate the player personnel tomorrow and see what will be different in the upcoming season. Soon, I will give my Spring prediction for next year.